Bath implement



Dec. 25., 1951 A, C, HE'MPEL 2,580,226

BATH IMPLEMENT Filed Feb. 4, 1949 36AM/m c #iM/JIL BY A f7@ ,QM

Patented Dec. 25, 1951 UNITED STATS ATENT OFFICE This invention relates to a bath implement.

It is an object of this invention to provide a bath implement which may be used in the manner of a bath brush but which has the softer and more gentle scrubbing surface of a wash cloth.

Another object of the invention resides in the provision of a bath implement in the form of a handle member having a soft pliable pad mounted at the end thereof over which a wash cloth in the form of a bag may be iitted.

A further object of the invention is to provide a bath implement which includes a soft pliable scrubbing pad which is fixed toa handle me'mber and shaped to provide a maximum surface available for scrubbing.

A further object of the invention is to provide an inflatable bladder which is mounted with sufficient rigidity on the end of a handle member so as to be usable in the manner of a bath brush when an outer covering in the form of a wash cloth is fitted over the bladder. Y

A further object of the invention resides in the provision of simple and quick acting valve means associated with the handle of the implement for releasing the fluid from within the bladder and for preventing the escape thereof when it is desired to maintain the bladder in the inflated condition.

Other objects and improvements in the Way of construction will become apparent from the accompanying description and drawings in which:

Figure l is 'a planview of the bath implement of this invention.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the bath implement.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken along the line 3 3 in Figure 2. o Y

Figure 4 is an enlarged fragmentary view of a portion of the handle assembly shown in Figure 2.

Figure 5 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional view of the valve arrangement.

Figure 6 is a sectional view taken along the line 6-6 in Figure 2.

Referring to the drawings, the instrument comprises a bladder member I0 which is made of rubber or plastic and fashioned'with a generally circular contour in horizontal section. At one side, bladder Ill is formed with a neck portion I2 within which is vulcanized or otherwise secured a stem member I4. Stem I4 is preferably formed of hard rubber and extends` into the bladder to approximately the center thereof. At itsonrner end stem I4is .fornriedy withjiat faces 2 I 6 and I8 to which the central portion of the upper and lower walls, I5 and I'I respectively, of

bladder Il) are cemented or otherwise secured.

Bladder I6 is preferably molded to the contour shown in Figure 2 and possesses sufficient rigidity to maintain this contour to some extent at least even when the bladder is not iniiated with air or.

other fluid. As is shown clearly in Figure 2 stem i4 is dimensioned so that the portions of the walls i5 and Ii cemented or vulcanized to faces I6 and I8 form centrally disposed recesses 20 and 22 on the upper and lower faces of the pad. The stem I4 thereby supports bladder I3 at its center and at the neck portion I2, the bladder when supported in this manner having a shape somewhat similar to a doughnut with a solid recessed center portion.

The outer end of stem I4 is molded with a socket 24 in which is secured a metallic liner 26. Liner 26 reinforces the outer end of stem I4 and. has threads 28 rolled or otherwise formed there-r in which are adapted to engage with a threaded portion 36 of a handle 32. Handle 32 may be `constructed of plastic or other suitable material unaffected by water and is formed with a central longitudinal passage 34 extending therethrough. At its inner threaded end handle 32 is provided with a cap` member 36 having a plurality of oblique passages 38 extending therethrough. Passages 38 are arranged so that at the face of cap 36 adjacent the end of handle 32 the passages l communicate with passage 34 in the handle.

Stem I4 is provided with a central longitudinal passage 463 which communicates with a plurality of radial passages 42 which open into bladder I0. At its inner end liner 26 is apertured as at 43 which aperture registers with passage 40. Cap member 36 is shaped so that when handle 32 is threaded fully into liner 26 as is shown in Figure 5, the central portion 44 of the cap abuts against the end Wall 46 of liner 26 thereby closing opening 43 and preventing the escape of air or other uid contained within bladder I0. In order to effect an opening or closing of this valve arrangement with a minimum rotation of handle 32, threads 28 arek designed with a relatively large lead so that when the handle is turned about one-half a revolution, cap 36 is moved forwardly from the open position shown in Figure 2 to the position shown in Figure 5 Where it seals passage 40.

Handle 32 is mounted in a permanent manneron stem I4 by means of a radial iiange 4,8 at theouter end of liner 26 which is rolled intoan annular recess- 50 onhand1e32.u Recess-50 is:

dimensioned so as to limit the outward movement of handle 32 from within liner 26 to the position shown in Figure 2 and so that the handle may be threaded inwardly in liner 25 to a position where cap 36 seals passage 40.

The actual scrubbing surface of the implement of this invention is preferably in the nature of a wash cloth which is shaped as a bag 52 adapted to enclose bladder l and a portion of stem I4. At one end bag 52 is provided with an opening 54 which is slightly larger in size than the diameter of stem i4 so that the bladder can be inserted into bag 52 through opening 54 when the bag is deflated. Opening 54 however is of a size such as to prevent bag 52 from being withdrawn from over bladder lo when the bladder is in the inflated condition.

The operation of the device is simple and obvious from the. drawings. When it is desired to use the implement, the user slips the wash cloth bag 52 over .bladder It and turns handle 32 so as to open the valve formed by cap 35 and wall 46. The user then inflates the bladder either by blowing air into passage 34 from the outer end of handle 32 or by filling the bladder with water through this passage. After the bladder is inflated to the desired extent handle 32 is simply threaded slightly into liner 2d so as to advance cap member 36 into contact with the end wall 46 of liner 26 and thereby seal passage ce. When it is desired to deflate bladder IG, handle 32 is turned slightly in the opposite direction so as to move cap member 36 out of sealing engagement with the end wall d6 of liner 25. The iiuid in the container thereby escapes into passage 40 through the radial passages l2 and from passage 4i) it is conducted into passage 3d by means of the obliquely disposed passages 38 in cap 35.

, It will thus be seen that I have provided a bath implement which has distinct advantages over bath brushes, Sponges, and wash cloths. By molding the bladder of a relatively rigid but nevertheless distortable and pliable material, the bladder can be provided with various degrees of softness. When the bag is inflated with water, for instance, it provides a relatively hard and solid scrubbing surface. The compressibility of the bladder can be decreased by inflating the bladder with air rather than with water, and when a very soft. surface is desired, the bladder .may be used without being inflated.

It will also be observed that by securing the stem I to the central portion of bladder i2 as shown, the bladder is not only mounted so as to provide maximum rigidity but also a maximum surface available for scrubbing. Except for the neck portion l2 of the bladder which is secured to stem i4, the entire outer surface of the bladder maybe utilized for scrubbing. It will also be noted that the outer peripheral walls of the bladder are semi-cylindrical in shape and adapted to be used on portions of the body such as under the arms or other portions which would ordinarily be inaccessible by the upper and lower fiat portions of the bladder. The recessed portions and 22 at the center of the bladder cooperate with the bag 52 to form pockets 56 in which a cake of soap may be arranged if desired. Inaddition, the recessing of portions 2B and 22 is desirable since it permits the outer surfaces of the bladder and bag 52 which are utilizedfor scrubbing to remain soft and resilient.

i What I claim is:

.41. A bath implement comprising an inflatable 4 an upper' and lower wall, a handle member ex-f tending radially into said bladder from one side thereof and projecting inwardly between said walls to the central portion of said walls, the central portion of the upper and lower walls forming recesses on opposite sides of said bladder, said walls at said recessed portions being secured to the inwardly extending end portion of said handle member.

2. A bath implement comprising an inflatable bladder having a top and bottom wall, a support ,member extending into said bladder from one side thereof and projecting between said walls to the central portion of said bladder, said top and bottom walls each forming a recess at the central portion of the bladder on opposite sides thereof, said walls at said recessed portions being secured to the inwardly projecting end of said support.

3. A bath implement comprising an iniiatable bladder having a top and bottom wall, a support member extending into said bladder from one side thereof and projecting between said walls to the central portion of said bladder, said top and bottom walls each forming a recess at ythe central portion of the bladder when the bladder is inilated, said walls at said recessed portions being secured to the inwardly projecting end -of said support, and a cloth bag enclosing said bladder, said bag having an opening therein normally smaller in size than said bladder when inflated so that said bladder may be inserted in-to said bag when deflated but is incapable of being withdrawn from said bag when inflated.

4. A bath implement comprising an inflatable bladder. a support member extending into said bladder from one end thereof and projecting to Vthe central portion of said bladder, said bladder having a top and bottom wall, said walls being compressible when the bladder is inflated and extending inwardly towards each other atv the central portion thereof, said central portions of said wals being attached to the inner end of said supp-ort member, said top and bottom walls being of generally circular shape and cooperating at said central portions with the inner end of said support member to form an annular tubular compartment when the bladder is inflated.

5. A bath implement comprising an innatable bladder .member having a readily compressible top and bottom wall, said walls being spaced apart a distance less than the length and width of said bladder and being shaped to provide an endless tubular compartment and a supporting member extending into said bladder from one side thereof between said top and bottom walls and connected yto said bladder at the central portion of said tubular compartment.

6. A bath implement comprising an inflatable bladder, a relatively rigid stem extending into said bladder from one end thereof and projecting inwardly to the central portion of said bladder, said bladder having a top and bottom wall, said top and bottom walls extending inwardly toward each other at the central portion thereof and being attached to the inner end of said stem, said stem having a socket at its outer end, and a handle movably mounted in said socket.

'7. The combination as set forth in claim 6 including a passageway extending through said handle and Ysaid steniand into said bladder, and means responsive rto the actuation of said handle in said socketforsealing said passageway.

a. lThe combination as set form in claim e wherein said handle is adapted to threadedly engage with said socket, a passageway extending through said handle and stem, and means at the end of said handle within said socket for sealing said passageway when the handle is threaded completely into said socket.

9. The combination as set forth in claim 8 wherein said sealing means comprises a cap member at the end of said handle within said socket, said cap member having a plurality of passageways therein disposed obliquely to the axis of the handle and communicating at one end with the passageway in said handle, the other end of said oblique passageways communicating with the passageway in said stem when `said cap member is spaced from the end wall of said socket, said cap member when abutting against the end wall of said socket sealing the passageway in said stern.

10. A bath implement comprising a substantially at inatable bladder having an upper and lower wall, a handle extending into said bladder through one side thereof, said handle being clisposed between said walls and being generally parallel to the planes of said walls, said handle CII being secured to the upper and lower walls of said 25 bladder at subs-tantially the central portion of said walls so that the peripheral surface of said bladder is substantially entirely available for scrubbing, means forming a 1,passageway extending through said handle into said bladder, and valve means in said passageway.

11. A bath implement comprising a substann tially flat inflatable bladder having an upper and lower wall, a handle extending into said bladder through one side thereof, said handle being secured to the upper and lower walls of said bladder at substantially the central portion thereof so that the peripheral surface of said bladder is substantially entirely available for scrubbing, and a cloth bag overlying said bladder and havH ing an opening therein surrounding a portion of said handle, said opening being smaller in size than said bladder when inilated so that the bladder can be inserted into and withdrawn from said bag only in the deilated condition.

ARTHUR C'. HEMPEL.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 242,745 Brewster June 14, 1881 802,484 Speir Oct. 24, 1905 2,384,178 Kincaid Sept. 4, 1945 

